Material-handling apparatus



May 13, 1930. 1,758,750

' 9- MATERIAL fiwnnme #PPARATUS" Filed Feb. 275 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .wles,

y 3, 1930- s. A. KNOWLES 1,758,750

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Feb 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LLLL L4 1 Q I H T'ri i1 77 Patented lVlay 13, 1930 PATENT OFFICE SILAS A. KNOWLES, OF DENVER, COLOR-ADO MATERIAL-HANDLING APPARATUS Application filed February 27, 1929. Serial No. 343,106.

This invention relates to material handling apparatus and has for its object to provide simple, compact means, inexpensive to produce, operate and maintain, for transferring material such as concrete mix, aggregate or the like from one location to another rapidly, continuously and without diffusion of the material such as occurs when air is mixed with the material in the use of certain pneumatically operating material handling devices of the prior art.

The present inventive idea is capable of embodiment in different mechanical structures, certain of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the structures illustrated are intended merely as disclosures of the essential features and novel charactertistics of the invention in what are considered the best forms known at the present time, and that various changes and desirable additions may be made in and to the structures shown within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corre sponding parts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of material handling apparatus constructed in accordance with one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating an alternative structural embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5, a top plan view, partly in section,

of the structure illustrated in Figure 4:; and

Figure 6, a fragmentary rear elevation of the structure shown in both Figures 1 and 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed that the present apparatus includes essentially a circular member A of inwardly opening trough-like cross section, into which material is adapted to be delivered at one point and from which material is adapted to be taken at another point. This member is adapted to be mounted in any suitable manner for rotation in the plane thereof by any suitable means at a suflicient rate of speed to cause material delivered thereto to be retained therein by centrifugal force. For example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it may be mounted by means of a web or disk 10 on a shaft 11 journaled for rotation in bearings 12, or, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, it may be mounted on rollers 13 carried by a frame 14. In either case it is adapted to be rotated by any suitable means such, for example, as an electric motor 15 which may be connected in driving relation thereto as shown in Fig. 3 by means of a sprocket chain 16 trained over sprocket wheels 17 and 18 on the armature shaft of the motor and on shaft 11, respectively, or, as shown in Fig.4, by means of a sprocket chain 16 trained over a sprocket wheel 17 on the motor shaft and over a sprocket wheel 18 surrounding the member itself.

Member A is particularly adapted for effecting transfer of material by elevating the material from one level to another and to this end it is contemplated that said member usually will be mounted for rotation in a vertical plane, whereby material to be elevated and transferred may, be delivered into the member at or near the bottom thereof and taken therefrom at or near the top thereof. As is apparent, however, said member may be mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane or in any plane between horizontal and vertical planes, depending upon the amount of elevation, if any, it is desired to impart to the material to be transferred thereby.

One side of member A preferably but not necessarily is extended outwardly and in the direction of the axis of rotation of the member, as indicated at 19, to provide a guide surface for directing material from a hopper 20 into said member, and in order to impart to material delivered to said member an initial velocity substantially equal to the velocity of said member, whereby the inherent tendency of the material to pile up at the bottom of member A, especially if the inner surface of said memberis smooth, as desirably it is, said guide surface has blades 21 secured thereto at suitably spaced intervals adapted successively to s ri material. wing fr he hop e over extension 20 and to change its direction of travel to that of member A. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 these blades 21 are utilized to accomplish the additional function of connecting member A with web or disk 10.

The inner face of trough-like member A preferably is formed smooth in order to facilitate thorough scraping of material therefrom, it being contemplated to effect discharge of material from said member at any desired point by means of any suitable form of scraping device 22 arranged to direct mate rial scraped from said member into any suitable form of conduit 23 for conveyance to a desired location. In the present instance scraping device 22 is illustrated in the form of an extension of the upper wall of conduit 23 at the receiving end of the latter. It is preferably flexible so as to maintain contact with the inner face of member A and it also is curved downwardly somewhat as shown, the better to direct material into the conduit. The conduit itself is arranged as nearly as practicable tangential to member A whereby material scraped from said member will be delivered at maximum velocity into said conduit for projection therethrough.

Should it be found under particular conditions that the material projected by member A into conduit 23 is not possessed of sufficient velocity to cause it to travel satisfactorily through said conduit, the latter may be equipped with a screw conveyor 24: or equivalent means driven in any suitable manner to advance the material through the conduit.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the construction, operati on and advantages of the invention will be clearly understood. By way of more definite explanation of the operation, however, it may be stated that member A is adapted for continuous rotation and to have material continuously supplied thereto and taken there from, its rotary speed being such as to develop sufficient centrifugal force to hold the material therein until it is scraped therefrom by the device 22. c

As will be observed, the apparatus in width occupies a relatively small amount of space which renders it particularly adapted for use in tunnel work or wherever the available space for erection of material transfer apparatus is more or less restricted.

Furthermore, it will be observed that by reversing the position of scraper 22 and conduit 23 and by reversingthe direction of rotation of member A material may be delivered either to the right or to the left of the apparatus as same is viewed in Figs. 1 and 4-.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for transferring material from one location to another comprising a rotatable inwardly opening circular trough into which the material is adapted to be delivered and in which the material is adapted to be retained by centrifugal force, a conduit, means arranged to scrape material fron said trough and direct it into said conduit, the inner face of said trough being smooth to enable said scraping means to effectively scrape the material therefrom, and means for imparting to material delivered into said trough an initial velocity substantially equal to the velocity of said trough.

2. Apparatus for transferring material from one location to another comprising a rotatable inwardly opening circular trough into which the material is adapted to be delivered and in which the material is adapted to be retained by centrifugal force, a conduit, means arranged to scrape material from said trough and direct it into said conduit, the inner face of said trough being smooth to enable said scraping means to effectively scrape the material therefrom, and blades rotatable with said trough for imparting to material delivered into said trough an initial velocity substantially equal to the velocity of said trough.

3. Apparatus for transferring material from one location to another comprising a rotatable inwardly opening circular trough into which the material is adapted to be delivered and in which the material is adapted to be retained by centrifugal force, a conduit, means for directing material from said trough into said conduit, and means for imparting to material delivered into said trough an initial velocity substantially equal to the velocity of said trough.

4. Apparatus for transferring material from one location to another comprising a rotatable inwardly opening circular trough-like member of substantially U-shaped cross section inclusive of spaced sides and into which the material is adapted to be delivered and in which the material is adapted to be retained by centrifugal force, one of the sides of said member being extended outwardly and towards the axis of rotation of the member to provide a guide surface inclined with respect to the plane of the member for directing material into the member.

5. Apparatus for transferring material from one location to another comprising a rotatable inwardly opening circular troughlike member into which the material is adapted to be delivered and in which the material is adapted to be retained by centrifugal force,

one side of said member being extended out- Wardly and in the direction of the axis of rotation of the member to provide a guide surface for directing material into the member, and blades located at spaced intervals on the inner face of said extended side.

6. Apparatus for transferring material from one location to another comprising a rotatable inwardly opening circular troughlike member into which the material is adapted to be delivered and in Which the material is adapted to be retained by centrifugal force, one side of said member being extended outwardly and in the direction of the axis of rotation of the member to provide a guide sur face for directing material into the member, and a rotatable support for said member connected with said member by said blades.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

SILAS A. KNOWLES. 

